The Puppetmaster
by Violettree
Summary: What if Zuko joined the gAang in time for the meeting with Hama?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I don't own this show. If I did, this would've actually happened.

So, a quick note about the story. Basically, Zuko joined the group in the Crossroads of Destiny or whatever, or this episode took place after the Western Air Temple, whatever you want. I don't care. But he was present for the Puppetmaster. And Katara doesn't hate him. THERE IS NO ZUTARA. This is pretty much a rewrite of the episode, except with Zuko. The beginning is almost exactly the same, the plot twists come closer to the end. I'm warning you, though, this isn't one of the lighthearted stories I've written before. This thing is actually pretty dark.

Anyways, I'm rambling. T for violence and torture. Enjoy.

"Suddenly, they heard something down the hall in the dark. OOOOoooooOOOOoooo," said Sokka, telling the worst scary story in the history of ever. His facial expressions were amusing, though, and Zuko tuned out the tale and instead watched Sokka's contorting visage.

"It came into the torchlight, and they knew... THE BLADE OF WINGCRAFT WAS HAUNTED! OOOHAAAAAAAHHHHEEEEOOOOOOO!"

A cricket chirped.

"I liked the other story better," commented Aang.

"I'm not sure whether to comment on your terrible story, or your hilarious facial expressions." added Zuko.

"Water tribe slumber parties must suck." Toph said.

"So, who's next?" asked Aang.

"I've got one," said Katara, "and it's true."

"Is this one of those, Afriend of my father's cousin's uncle told him that his dog's aunt said-"

"Quiet. Let her tell the story." Zuko skillfully cut off Sokka's rant.

"Thanks, Zuko." said Katara, "So, one winter, when mom was a girl, a snowstorm buried the village for weeks. A month later, mom realized she hadn't seen her friend Nimi since the storm. So a few people went to check on Nimis family. But when they got there, no one was home. Just a fire, flickering in the fireplace. While the men went to search for them, mom stayed in the house. When she was alone, she heard a voice," Katara paused, then continued, in a high-pitched tone, " It said, 'It's so cold, and I can't get warm. She turned, and saw Nimi, standing by the fire. She was blue with cold.

"Mom ran to get help, but when she returned, Nimi was gone."

Katara stopped. Aang was cuddling Momo, Sokka was hiding behind a tree root, and toph acted unaffected, but Zuko could see she was scared. He had to admit, the story was a little creepy.

Sokka poked his head out from behind the tree root, "Wh-where'd she g-go?"

"No one knows. Nimi's house stands empty to this day. But, sometimes, people see smoke curling up from the chimney. Like little Nimi is still trying to get warm."

The fire flickered in the darkness. If he looked really closely, right beside Katara he could almost see..._Stop it, Zuko. It's just a story, _he thought.

Toph gasped. "Wait! Did you hear that?"

Aang and Sokka ran over and hugged Katara.

"Hear what?" asked Zuko, seeming perfectly calm.

"There arepeople, under the mountain. Screaming."

"Pfft. Nice try,"said Sokka the Skeptic.

"No, I'm serious. I _hear _something."

"You're...probably just jumpy from the ghost stories." said Katara, trying to explain the phenomenon.

"...It just stopped."

Zuko saw someone standing, just behind where the siblings and Aang wer huddled. He jumped up and called out, "Who are you and what do you want?"

Everyone except Toph whirled around, screamed and ran over to grab Zuko. Toph just stood there.

"Get off!"

Everyone but Toph ended up on their buts on the ground as the old woman entered the clearing where they had chosen to make camp.

"Hello, children. Sorry to frighten you. My name is Hama. What are your names?"

"I'm Katara," Katara took over the introductions, "This is my brother, Sokka, and our friends, Aang, Toph and, uh..." She trailed off. Zuko was too well known in the Fire Nation for them to give away his name.

"I'm Lee," he said with only the slightest hesitation, "Now, what do you want?"

"I wanted to tell you kids that you shouldn't be out in the forest by yourself, especially at night. Why don't you come back to my inn for some spiced tea and warm beds?"

Now Zuko felt awkward for treating Hama with such suspicion, even though he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong...

"Yes, please," Sokka squeaked.

A/N So, what do you think? I'm going to try to post things once a week, though you might notice some delay because I'm busy this summer.

And if you notice anything wrong, let me know, by REVIEWING! If you notice anything good, let me know by REVIEWING! In other words, REVIEW! Yes, I am shamelessly begging.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

So, I finally learned to use page breaks. *smiles* I like where this story is going. If you can't see it, then think: How would Hama react if she discovered that 'Lee' was not only a firebender, but the Prince of the Fire nation? Just a thought. *Grins evilly*.

Enjoy.

"Thanks for letting us stay here tonight," Katara said as Hama began to pour the tea. Zuko idly wondered if it was as good as his uncles tea as the old woman answered.

"You are so sweet," Zuko tried not to snort. She should have seen Katara when he'd first joined the group. "You should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in."

"What do you mean by disappearing?" Sokka asked.

"What do you think she means?" Zuko knew Sokka was dense, but really...

"When the moon turns full, people go in, but they don't come out," Hama ignored Zuko's comment. Everyone was looking at Hama with shocked expressions. People were just disappearing?...

"Who wants more tea?" She was smiling, as if it was all a joke. What if one of the group disappeared?

She noticed their frightened expressions, "Don't worry, you'll all be completely safe here. Why don't I show you to your rooms and you can get a good night's rest?"

Zuko was still suspicious, but he was also tired, and Hama would probably be able to tell more tomorrow. He didn't think that kind old Hama would hurt them, either. So he and the rest of the group followed her up the stairs.

"Here's your room, Lee," Hama said, opening the door to a room.

It was dark, and the walls were a deep, eerie red, with dark brown floorboards, and a mattress pushed up against the wall. A window, opened just a little, let moonlight into the right side of the room, while the left was hidden it shadow. A small table was visible, with a simple oil lantern on top. A few spark rocks rested in front.

The moon was almost full.

"Are you sure we'll be safe here?" he asked, mostly worried about his friends.

"Absolutely. No one's ever gone missing from my inn."

"All right. Good night, Hama. And thank you," he said, bowing Fire Nation style.

"Good night...Lee." Hama looked confused. Suspicious. Zuko mentally cursed himself as the door shut. Lee was an Earth Kingdom name-he should have bowed Earth Kingdom style.

Despite all the creaking, Zuko managed to get to sleep easily. Spending three years on a boat has it's advantages.

* * *

><p>Hama entered the room early in the morning, as Zuko was doing his katas, being extremely careful to not set anything on fire. Luckily, he heard her coming, and stopped before she came in.<p>

"Oh, good, you're awake," she said, "Time to go shopping!"

Katara looked happy, Sokka looked annoyed, Aang was staring at Katara, and Toph was secretly bending her meteor bracelet.

Zuko nodded once and followed the group out of his room.

At the market, they bought a variety of food, and Katara and Hama really bonded. In the meantime, Aang, Sokka, Toph and Zuko were trying to find an explanation to what was happening.

"People disappearing? Weird stuff happening during the full moon? This just reeks of Spirit World shenanigans."

"I don't think so," said Zuko, "The Spirit World doesn't just kidnap people for no reason. I think there's someone else behind all this."

"I don't think theres a person behind this, but you're right, Zuko, the Spirit World doesn't just do these things for no reason. I wonder why it's attacking..."

"You guys are forgetting something. I _heard_ screaming below the mountains. I didn't imagine anything."

"Toph, at that point, I thought I was seeing zombies. You probably did imagine it, or it was a wild animal. Besides, it's too dangerous to check out during the full moon." Aang made some good points.

"I guess you're right, Twinkletoes. It honestly didn't sound too human. I probably overreacted."

"We should look around town and see if we can find what this town did that made the spirits angry."

"And then you can sew up this little problem and we can go."

Katara and Hama stopped.

"Why don't you five take this back to the inn? I just need to run a few more errands. I'll be back in time to fix dinner."

Before Sokka could say anything Zuko replied, "Alright. Thank you, Hama."

* * *

><p>"Hama seems a little strange." Sokka was ever the skeptic of the group.<p>

"Sokka, Hama is a kind old woman, and you should be grateful she's letting us stay here.

"Keep this up, Snoozles, and I may have to change your nickname to Suspicious mcSkepticpants."

"Look, I know I shouldn't be so uneasy about her, but I just have a feeling that there's something _up_ with her."

"Me too," said Zuko, "but it's probably because she's a member of the nation that we're all wanted criminals of. We're also trying to overthrow it's leader, that might be part of it."

"Maybe," Sokka didn't seem to believe Zuko. A minute later, he said, "I'm going to look around."

He began to climb a steep, narrow set of stairs that Zuko hadn't noticed before.

"Sokka! Sokka, what are you doing? You can't just go snooping around in someone's house!"

Aang was annoyed too, but for a different reason, "She'll be home any minute."

"This isn't a good idea," warned Zuko, but Sokka ignored all three of them as he snooped through the unused rooms.

Sokka began to tug at a cupboard in the wall. It was stuck.

"You're going to get us all in trouble, and it's just plain rude!"

"I'm not finished yet."

The cupboard popped open, and puppets cam flying out.

Everyone yelled.

"Ok, that's a little creepy."

"So she has a hobby," Katara tried to act nonchalant, but even she was a little weirded out. Sokka was already moving on.

"Sokka, thats enough!"

"Just a regular old innkeeper, huh? Then why does she have a locked door up here?"

"Probably to keep people like you from looking through her stuff!"

Sokka very carefully peered through the keyhole, "It's empty, except for a little chest."

"Maybe it's treasure!" Toph said, and you could almost hear Sokka's eyes light up. He inserted the tip of his sword into the lock and began to wiggle it around.

"Sokka, you're breaking into a private room! Hama could be back any minute. We shouldn't be up here."

The door creaked as it opened.

"Sokka, you shouldn't be doing this," Aang looked like he felt sick.

"How would you like it if someone went through your stuff?" Zuko was pissed off at Sokka's lack of respect for other people's privacy.

"It's locked," Sokka stated, "Maybe there's a key somewhere in here."

"Allow me," said Toph, taking the box and bending the meteor bracelet on her arm into a key.

_Click._

It opened. All five kids crowded around.

"I'll tell you what's in the box."

Everyone whilred around, guilt written across their faces in bright red ink.

Sokka handed over the box, and Hama opened it. Inside was a Water Tribe comb.

"It's my greatest treasure. This is all I have from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe."

Shock was written across Katara and Sokka's faces.

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe?" they asked in unison.

"Just like you."

"How did you know?"

"I heard you talking around your campfire. Though I don't quite know why you pretended your name wasn't Zuko." This last part was addressed to Zuko.

"I'm well known in some parts of the Nation. Petty theft, mostly."

Katara and Aang exchanged glances. Who knew that Zuko could lie so well?

"I see. Quite understandable. These are hard times for us all."

"Why didn't you tell us you were from the Southern Tribe?"

"I wanted to suprise you with a big Water Tribe dinner. I can't get all the ingredients here, but ocean kumquats taste a lot like sea prunes if you stew them long enough."

Aang made a face. _Right, _thought Zuko, _steer clear of that particular dish._

"I knew I felt a bond with you,"said Katara.

"And I knew you were hiding something,so I guess we're both right," said Sokka. She punched him. "But I'm sorry we were sneaking around."

"Apology accepted,"she said with one of those kind old-people smiles, "Now lets get cooking!"

Dinner was suprisingly fun to make. Most of the dishes Zuko had never heard of, so he just chopped food, sometimes in midair with his Dao swords just for show. Everyone always applauded afterwards.

Hama was having a little trouble with the spark rocks. The sparks wouldn't catch.

"Here," offered Zuko, "Let me." He bent a small burst of fire at the wood in the belly of the stove, and shut the door.

"You're a firebender." It wasn't a question, but Zuko nodded anyways, smiling just a little. He turned away to continue chopping up a strange vegetable called a joongi. He did not see Hama glare angrily at his back for a moment, before the water boiled and she put the kumquats in the boiling water.

* * *

><p>AN: Well, now Hama knows Zuko is a firebender. One of the people who captured/killed her friends and cobenders. And it's almost full moon.

Up next, we will have much more plot deviation. I hope you people are enjoying the story so far. It gets interesting, so bear with me.

And the joongi vegetable is completely made up. You will probably never hear of it again.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I'm starting to get tired with this...

Sorry this is a little late. Next chapter comes on Monday for your patience.

So, here come the changes. This is where it actually starts to get interesting.

Anyways, this is chapter three, I'm thinking there won't be more than five, six chapters? But it's really fun to write this, even though so far it's been a practically a copy of the episode.

So, anyways, enjoy.

"Who wants five flavour soup?"

"Me!" everybody said.

Hama bent a hand over the bowl-and sent the soup flying into everyone's bowls.

"You're a waterbender!" Katara seemed so happy, and Sokka looked even more guilty for thinking that Hama was hiding something dangerous. To be honest, Zuko felt the same way, but he just couldn't shake that niggling feeling.

"I've never met another waterbender from our tribe," Katara continued, excited.

"That's because the Fire Nation wiped us all out. I am the last one." Hama was so sad.

"I'm so sorry," Zuko whispered. He'd seen the Air Temples, and the Southern Tribe. He had seen the damage done. He was friends with the last airbender, and for a long time, they had thought that Katara was the last Southern waterbender. He knew what it meant to be the last one of your kind.

"So, what are you doing here?" Sokka asked.

"I was stolen from my home." She looked down, remembering.

"It was over sixty years ago when the raids began. They came over and over, each time taking more of our waterbenders captive. We tried to hold them off, but our numbers dwindled as time went by. Eventually, I was the only one left, and I too was captured, led away in chains. The last waterbender of our tribe."

Katara walked over and placed a comforting arm around Hama's shoulder as tears welled in both of their eyes. She continued with her story.

"They put us in terrible prisons here in the Fire Nation. I was the only one to escape."

"How did you escape?" Zuko asked, eyes wide with concern and sadness, "And why did you stay?"

"I'm sorry," Hama said, "It's too painful to talk about anymore."  
>"We completely understand," said Katara, "I can't believe that I'm not the only Southern waterbender. I'm glad I met you."<p>

"I am glad I met you, too. I would like to teach you what I know, so that you can carry on the southern tradition when I'm gone."

"Katara's face erupted with joy, "Yes! It would be an honour."

Hama smiled, "Well, it's getting late, children. You should probably get some sleep. I'll show you to your rooms."

* * *

><p>Zuko stood at the window. He, very simply, couldn't sleep.<p>

Now, Zuko's time as the Blue Spirit had hhepled him with many things. For example, he could move as quietly as a shifting shadow, and his night vision was sharper than most peoples. His Dao sword skills had increased a hundredfold, and even without them, he could hold his own in hand to hand combat.

But most importantly, his hearing had been permanently tuned to hear everything, even the slightest whisper of a squirrelmonkey leaping through the trees. Nothing within a three-mile radius could escape Zuko's ears. And that's the only reason why he heard the screams.

He looked up.

Full moon.

He was out the window and into the forest before he even realized what he was doing. Whoever was screaming, he was going to help.

He ran through the woods with the speed of an eelhound. The screams were getting closer, more desperate...

Weaker.

He burst into the clearing where the screams had originated from. A small koala sheep, probably just a baby, lay on the ground, blood coming from it's mouth. It's screams had stopped.

Zuko suddenly realized the danger of being out during the full moon. He stooped to feel the koala sheep's pulse. If it was alive they might be able to help it-

All thoughts left his head as he stood up, without wanting to. He started to walk, clumsily and jerkily, without any control over his body parts. He tried to fight it, but he had no control. Like it or not, he was walking towards the mountain...and he heard faint screams.

_Toph was right, _he thought with a shiver, _There were screaming people below the mountain._

A deep cave loomed before him. Just inside was a shadow, that almost appeared to be...dancing?

_Bending_, he realized, _Bending the blood in my body..._

_Blood._

_Liquid._

_Waterbending. _

_Hama._

He couldn't even speak. His mouth was almost glued shut. By Hama, by the nice old innkeeper, by the woman who Katara would be learning from...

And no one would know where he'd gone.

He was almost in the cave. He could see the demented smile.

The only thing he could think was...

_Why?_

* * *

><p>So, now Zuko's been captured by Hama, who, as we all probably know, is bad-sugar insane. What fun I will have. Poor, poor Zuko...<p>

Hope you're enjoying this.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, yeah...

So, now what?

Read the chapter?

* * *

><p>Breakfast that morning was a simple affair, the leftovers from last night making a wonderful meal. It was mostly quiet, with Sokka asking Hama a little about what they would be doing that day.<p>

It was Toph who noticed the absence, "Hey, where's Sparky?"

Everyone was silent.

Sokka ran through the hallways to Zuko's room. He looked around.

The blankets were lying off the bed. The small rucksack was open, it's contents strewn across the floor. The window was open.

He ran back to where the rest of the people were waiting, "ZUKO'S BEEN KIDNAPPED BY PIRATE-NINJAS!"

Silence.

"Pirate-ninjas? Really?" asked Toph. She stood up, "I'm going to check around outside. There may be some clues there."

She left.

Hama stood and quietly said, "I believe your friend Zuko has been taken by the spirit."

"How do you know?" asked Sokka.

"Well, last night was a full moon. I couldn't sleep, so I was reading in my room when I heard noises coming from his bedroom. I went to check on him, and he was halfway out his window. He said he heard screaming, coming from the mountain. I tried to warn him that it was too dangerous, but he left before I could stop him.

"Now, Katara, let's begin your training."

Katara smiled, "Alright, then, but I'm kind of worried about Zuko."

"He'll be OK, Katara. Spirits don't hurt people without a good reason."

Then they left. Sokka and Aang retrieved Toph on the way out, and they walked towards the village to find the reason to the attacks.

* * *

><p><em>Last night<em>

Zuko was deeper in the caverns than the other prisoners, with a single torch that the old woman took with her when she came.

He had walked into the caverns and chained himself to the wall before he had regained control. Then Hama had appeared, and a whole new hell had begun.

He had thought that the old woman was kind, and caring, but now he knew that she was completely insane. Senile, maybe.

No, not senile. She knew what she was doing then...

"So, Prince Zuko, are you _comfortable? _I don't have the accomadations you're probably used to at the palace, but it's nice. Kind of like the dungeons.

"Now, I'm going to make this a living hell for you. You destroyed my people. My art. My way of life. Now you will pay the price."

She raised her arms...and bent two fingers.

He felt something deep inside him bend and twist.

His screams died in the mountain tunnels.

* * *

><p>"This place is beautiful. I don't see anything that would make any spirit angry."<p>

"That's because it's not a spirit, Twinkletoes."

"What? Toph, it's gotta be a spirit. What else could it be?"

"Spirits don't hurt without reason. And they take people into the Spirit world. I heard screaming. It doesn't make sense."

Sokka ignored Toph and saw some men walking into town, "Hey, does anyone know anything about the attacks?"

"Try talking to Old Man Ding," said one of them, He knows a bit about them. He's the only one who survived an attack."

By then, the sun was setting. Whatever they were going to do, the had to do it fast.

"Right, then," said Sokka, "Let's visit Old Man Ding."

Aang inturrupted Sokka's plan, "I think it would be a better idea to investigate the mountain. Even if there's nothing to find, at least we'll know what's happening."

"Good idea," said Toph.

Sokka dramatically sighed and followed them, grumbling all the way.

* * *

><p>Zuko hung inside the cavern, chained to the wall in the dark. It was cold, and he shivered. He could feel blood dripping out of his mouth, and his heart struggling like a pinned bird.<p>

He quietly did inventory.

Breath coming short, internal organs are not in good shape, heart barely beating. Cuts and punture wounds all over from where the old woman had attacked. He was losing blood fast from his stomach, which had a huge gash in it, and his shin, which had been sliced through from the side. The bone was broken as well.

He faded in and out of consciousness. There was only one discernable difference-pain.

Most people would give up, but Zuko was not most people.

Besides, he still had to apologize to Uncle.

* * *

><p>It was about ten minutes to nightfall, and Aang, Toph, and Sokka were only halfway to the mountain. Mosquitowasps buzzed lazily around, kept away by the occasional blast of air. It smelled like something had died nearby.<p>

Then the stumbled on the dead koalasheep.

"What happened to it?" asked Sokka.

"It died, genius." Toph was there.

"We don't have long," said Aang, "Let's go."

They continued towards the mountain. Soon, they were there, and the full moon was rising. It was ten o'clock.

"Aang, I don't think this is safe."

"Relax, Sokka. I'm the Avatar, and Toph is the champion of Earth Rumble Six. I think we'll be alright.

They wandered around the base of the mountain, searching for any trace of a spirit or a person. They eventually found a cave, with many sets of footprints going in, but only one pair of feet going out.

"Toph?"

"There are at least fifty people in there. They're all chained to the walls. I think we found a secret lair."

"Let's go."

And as midnight drew nearer, the three kids walked into the cave.

* * *

><p>Ok, so I almost killed Zuko. Big deal. It happens all the time, right? Right?<p>

I'm really enjoying this, but, sadly, we're nearing the end. After this, there will be the end scene, then a conclusion, then it's goodbye for probably about 7 months.

INTERESTING FACTOID! I wrote this part all in one sit while ill with pneumonia.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: If you haven't gotten the point by now, then this won't make a difference.

So, we're nearing the end here, folks! How are you doing there, Zuko?

Zuko: Duck you, you grass. Wait, what?

Me: Sorry, Zu-zu, it's censorship. Swearing doesn't work in the author's notes.

Zuko:...Sugar. And don't call me that.

Me: So, anyways, I would like to define something at this point: What happened before this.

So, Zuko joined the Gaang right after the Day of Black Sun. All his field trips followed, therefore Katara trusts him now. Then comes maybe a few more episodes, they hide at the Fire Nation, and this comes to pass.

And one more thing: No pairings. NONE. A few people have asked me to make a Zutara or a Toko or an actual taco for them to eat, but no. No pairings, no pairings, and go to Taco Bell.

* * *

><p>The passage was dark, even with the bright torch that Sokka carried. Stalactites and stalagmites that bordered the passage cast clawlike shadows on the walls, and icy water dripped from the ceiling, sounding ominous with the faint crackling of the fire.<p>

Sokka held his sword while Aang and Toph moved in their bending stances, ready for almost anything.

The passageway opened into a cave. They cautiously stepped forward.

The torch lit up the chamber. Around fifty people, dressed in red, were chained to stalagmites and stone pillars. Most of them were thin, starved. A few were dead.

"We're saved!" cried one of them. A weak cheering went up.

Toph began to bend the cuffs open. At this point, it didn't matter if they knew she was an earthbender.

"Who did this to you?" demanded Sokka.

"A witch," said the same the man who had spoken before.

The woman beside him said, "She seems like a kind old innkeeper, but she's completely insane."

Realization took over Sokka's face, "Hama!"

"Yes! She's a waterbender. She bent the blood in our bodies, and we couldn't stop her."

"Aang, Sokka, you go find Hama and Katara. When you get there, surround her with a wall of earth. She relies on sight, so it might stop her from taking you two over. After, cuff her hands together and take her to the jail. I'll free the villagers."

"OK," said Aang, and he and Sokka ran off.

Toph continued to open the cuffs.

"You're an earthbender," said one of them as she opened the cuffs around his wrists.

"Yes."

"A blind earthbender."

"That's right."

"And a metal-bender."

"Exactly."

"Then why are you helping us?"

"Because Hama has no right to do this to anyone. Also, my friend is somewhere around here."

"What does he look like?" The man hovered around her as she opened more handcuffs.

"Well, I've been told he's tall, with long, floppy hair, and a burn scar on the left side of the face. But I can't sense him in this room."

"Huh?

"I see with earthbending. I feel the vibrations in the ground. So, have you seen my friend?"

"Yeah, but he walked straight through this part and I couldn't see where he went."

Toph finished opening the last pair of handcuffs. She could sense openings into different parts of the caves, but there were thick wooden doors blocking the entrances. She couldn't see Zuko anywhere.

All the people still waited in the cave.

"Hey!" yelled the man, "Who saw where the kid with the scar went?"

"I think it was the middle door, right there."

The man nodded once and went to the door. He tried to open it, "It's locked."

"Here. Let me," said Toph, taking off here meteor bracelet and bending it into a key while feeling the lock to get a feel for what the key looked like.

In minutes, the door clicked open.

She heard the man beside her take in a sharp breath.

* * *

><p>"Hama, are you sure this is safe?" asked Katara, nervously glancing around the clearing.<p>

"Absolutely," said Hama, as they stepped into the clearing.

"Can you feel the power, Katara? Can you feel the moon running through your veins, enriching you with it's light. For years we waterbenders have been blessed with it's glow, and beneath it I will teach you the ultimate technique.

"Bloodbending."

She said the word slowly, with all the sick joy that Katara now saw.

"Bending the blood of another within their own veins, bending them to your will. It's how I escaped the Fire nation prison. And now," she turned to face Katara, "Now it's your turn."

"No! I won't do it! I won't learn Bloodbending!"

And the battle began.

* * *

><p>Zuko was laid out on the floor of the cavern, and shirts, sashes, and any extra cloths were being pressed to his wounds by the freed villagers. Two of the parents had herded the little children away, so that they didn't see.<p>

Toph could barely feel his heart, and she was standing right next to him.

After walking into the cave, Toph knew Zuko was in bad shape. Like, really bad. All the injuries she'd gotten learning to earthbend were nothing compared to his. Broken bones, bleeding gashes, and internal injuries littered his body. Arteries and veins had been bent, twisted, tied into knots. Muscles were torn.

Toph would kill that vile woman if it was the last thing she did.

"Toph," said Bhat, the man who had helped her find Zuko earlier, "do you have any healers in your group?"

Toph ran. Bhat followed.

* * *

><p>Hama was trapped. Trapped in a box of earth, unable to see where her enemies were.<p>

And Katara needed to learn.

The art of Bloodbending would not be lost, like so many other arts in the tribe. The Fire Nation boys who had done this would not stop her again.

Hama was insane. She could no longer think straight. Fire Nation. Evil. Water Tribe. Good. Firebender. Torture. Hurt. Bloodbender. Hama. Justice.

She attacked the walls again and again, each time with more desperation.

Katara would learn.

* * *

><p>There was a bright light above him, and a blood red whirlpool far below. He was torn in the two directions. He knew he had to go back, but the light was warm, and he was so, so cold...<p>

"_It's so, so cold, and I can't get warm."_

He knew her. He knew the person who said that. Katara.

Suddenly, his hand came against a small niche, a handhold that hadn't been there before.

Aang. He remembered Aang, too.

Another handhold, closer to the whirlpool.

Toph.

Another ledge.

Sokka.

Another.

Mai.

Jin.

Momo.

Shyu.*

Appa.

Ty Lee.

Song.

Uncle.

And he was diving down, down into the whirlpool, where all these people were waiting for him...

* * *

><p>Aang saw Toph running towards them.<p>

"Katara! Katara! Hurry!"

"Toph, what is it?" Aang could tell something was wrong. Who was that man following her? And where was...

"Zuko. He's hurt. Bad. Hurry."

"What are we gonna do with..." Katara gestured to the earth prison.

In three simple movements, Toph flattened the cylinder, crushing Hama inside.

"Taken care of. Let's go."

"But, Toph, you just-"

"I KNOW! AND I DON'T CARE! HE'S DYING, KATARA!" Toph took a deep breath, "We can deal with this later. Let's go."

* * *

><p>AN: *- For those of you who don't know, Shyu was the sage at the temple who, during the Winter Solstice, helped Aang contact Avatar Roku. In my world, they go back to make sure Shyu is safe when they travel to the Fire Nation, and he and Zuko become good friends. I said so, therefore it happened.

Now, Toph may seem a little OOC, but I personally don't really think so. She is a protector. She has a temper. She trusted Zuko from the start. It makes sense to me. No, that doesn't make this a Toko story. It makes it a story with a brother-sister-like friendship between two of the most badass characters in Avatar.

Also, has anyone noticed that NOT ONE speaking character in Avatar has blonde hair?(Correct me if I'm wrong.) I'm insulted.

Well, thanks for reading, and sorry this went up a little later than usual. I enjoy typing the A/N at the end. I should get a blog...

Well, anyways,

TALLY-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

...

I've been waiting all week to do that...


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, guys! So, here we go again!

Well, this is fun. I'll have to do this more often.

So...I took a look at the story earlier. And I have 24 REVIEWS! Thanks to everyone who did review, you all get cookies! And those who didn't review...review now and you get cookies!

So, lets get started! Also, the first little part was originally a drabble I had floating around, and I decided to put it here.

* * *

><p>In.<p>

Out.

In.

Out.

Zuko focused on his breathing. He was barely conscious, and his body screamed for sleep, but he knew if he left, he wouldn't come back.

It was dark and cold. People, there were people, pressing on his wounds, but he couldn't focus on them. He had enough to do just staying there.

Just staying alive. Just his breathing.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

* * *

><p>Katara, Toph, Sokka, Aang, and Bhat entered the cave. They saw the crowd of villagers still trying to save their friend, but they weren't working as frantically as they had before. He was leaving.<p>

They had almost given up on him.

"Move! Everyone, clear the area! Healer coming through!" Bhat set to work moving people away from Zuko.

Aang's eyes widened. Zuko had always been the one member of the group who seemed indestructible. Untouchable. Immortal, even. And now, he was hanging on to life by a breaking thread.

Sokka stared. Zuko...what had she done to him? He couldn't think straight.

Katara just walked right up to him, knelt down, and got to work. This was her turf now. Her power.

The water glowed. A whispery song echoed in the cavern. Everyone still there was watching in awe. Being Fire Nation, most had never seen a waterbender heal. It was magical.

Katara could feel everything coming together. She couldn't fix it all in one go, but she could pull himthrough this. The interrupted chi was flowing, and there were just a few more blocks to...

Oh.

Oh no.

"No," she whispered. Only Toph heard it.

"What is it?" she asked frantically.

"His veins...they're twisted. I can't...I can't fix them." she whispered, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Silence, except for Zuko's ragged breathing.

* * *

><p>In.<p>

Out.

It was getting easier now. The air felt like it was staying in his lungs now, rather than rushing out the bottom.

He could see the difference between light and dark. He was close...so close to life...

But the bright light still pulled him back, and he could barely hold on.

He saw a glimmer of blue. Just for a second.

_Katara._

_Please._

_Help me._

_Katara..._

* * *

><p>Shocked silence still resonated over the cavern.<p>

Bhat was the first to speak, "Well, miss, I don't know quite how the bloodbending thing works, but from what I can tell, Hama used her waterbending to do this. Can't you just reach in there and fix it?"

Silence again.

"Katara, you have to, to save Zuko."

"Aang, I...I don't think I can..."

Toph stood.

"Now look here, Sugar Queen, Zuko gave up his entire _life _for us. And he has a fifty-fifty chance of ever getting it back. The least you can do is make sure he lives long enough to _get _that chance."

"Wait...Zuko?" asked one of the villagers, "The banished prince of the Fire Nation?"

Sokka sighed, "Aaaaand there goes our cover. Great job, guys. When you blow it, youreally do blow it."

"Shut up, Sokka."

"So, you...you must be the...the Avatar." Those last words were whispered fearfully, as if if they said it any louder, Aang would smite them all.

A rasping breath, hitching in pain.

All eyes went down to Zuko...and Katara.

She focused, mind on her work, work on her mind, knowing that if she paused, Zuko would be gone, and it would be her fault for not just doing it, for not helping him when she could.

She knew it caused him pain, she knew it hurt. She could feel everything that she did to him, everything that had been done to him, as if she had been the tortured one. She didn't know if it was a side effect of bloodbending or just her guilt at using the tainted art, even to save a life.

And then it was done. Blood and chi flowed side by side, mingling in the heart before continuing on the endless cycle.

He would live.

"He'll live," she said, standing and facing the crowd, a strange expression on her face. Shame? Joy? More of a combination between the two.

"Good," sneered the jackass who had figured out Zuko's identity, "He's probably worth more to the Firelord alive."

Sokka dragged Zuko away from him, and the others took their stances. The villagers took positions behind Jackass, in a motley of bending stances and crouches.

Suddenly, Jackass was down. Bhat was standing in his place, with a few others behind him.

"Run, you guys! We'll hold them off! And here," He stuffed a scroll into Aang's hand, "Give this to him when he wakes up. Now go!" Then he plunged into the battle once more.

They moved as fast as they could. Sokka and Katara supported Zuko, Aang held a light and Toph, ironically, led the way.

They hoped Bhat would be alright.

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry about this being late. I just started high school. Not fun.

Anyways, also sorry about the shortness. This was a bit of a rush job. But there were some things that needed to be left out. Like, what's the scroll? Do they make it to Appa in time? Where does the name Bhat come from? You will have to wait and see.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: So, back again!

So freaking sorry it's so late! To make it up to you, please enjoy this fun fact!

Fun fact: The U.S. Government gave 6 million dollars to a Texan University to breed radioactive armadillos for use in warfare.

I seriously got nothing, so just read the story, OK?

Zuko: Yeah, hurry up. The faster you read, the faster I actually get to be conscious.

Me: Silence, you! Enjoy.

They moved slowly through the dark tunnels, Katara and Sokka carrying Zuko, Aang holding a tiny fire, and Toph, ironically, leading the way.

The battle echoed behind them, the acoustics of the tunnels distorting the sounds of fire blasts and fists hitting flesh. Shouts and screams sounded like a strange, eerie song, the percussion of the dripping water complementing the effect.

Finally, though, the darkness was replaced with bright sunlight. Dawn had broken, and Appa was waiting.

"Smart bison," said Sokka, as Aang climbed on and airlifted Zuko into the saddle. He, Katara, and Toph climbed up, and they were on their way.

Toph sat on the edge of the saddle, wishing that, just for a moment, she could see. That she could watch the mountain disappear into the distance, and watch the entrance to the cave where Bhat might at any moment appear. She didn't even know if he was alright, how many he had been fighting, if he even had a chance...

He kind of reminded her of the old man she'd met when she'd stormed off a few months ago.

Toph turned away from the view she couldn't see. It made no difference.

"How's he doing?" asked Aang. Katara quckly took Zuko's pulse and checked his breathing.

"Better," she replied, avoiding looking at him or anyone else.

They stayed silent. The effect of bloodbending was something that only time would heal.

* * *

><p>He lay in the cavern where he had been for the past two weeks. A sharp pain radiated from his stomach, but it was growing fainter.<p>

He had always figured this would be a losing battle. Only four others had been there, and only they had fought alongside him. But if it helped the hope of the world escape, then it was worth it.

What were five lives in comparison to the Earth Kingdom, The Water Tribes, and those in the Fire Nation who opposed the hostile takeover of the world?

He closed his eyes, and he was no longer in the cavern. He was flying.

A glowing blue form appeared in the dark sky. Roku smiled at him, took his hand, and guided him home.

* * *

><p>Zuko awoke to...clouds. Right above him.<p>

That was a little disconcerting, seeing as his last memory was a cave. He sat up, trying to figure out where exactly he was.

Not a good idea.

"AGH!" he gasped, grabbing his stomach.

"ZUKO!" Four voices called out.

And suddenly, group hug. Which hurt his poor stomach even more. But he didn't mind.

He was just glad to be alive. As usual.

"What the hell happened?" he asked.

Another not-so-great idea.

"Well you..."

"And then she.."

"...but they.."

"We..."

"And then we..."

"So they..."

"SHUT UP!"

Silence. Glorious silence. He took a deep breath, then said, "Now, try again."

Toph started.

"Well, you see, you went missing on the first night of the full moon. So we spent the day trying to find a lead. Eventually, we decided to check around the mountain where I heard the screaming. When we got there, we found the cave, filled with the missing villagers. They told us that Hama had kidnapped them, and I freed them while Aang and Sokka went to find her."

At this point, Sokka broke in with their side story, "Aang and I found and captured Hama. She was trying to teach Katara bloodbending against her will."

Toph continued, " Me and a friend, Bhat, found you in that room. The villagers did what they could, and we went to get Katara. She came and healed you, but...Hama had twisted your veins. Katara had to use bloodbending to straighten them. Then one of the villagers recognized you, and we had to leave. Bhat and a few others held them back, and we escaped."

Zuko lay back down. It was over, then. He was safe on Appa, and Hama...

"What happened to Hama?" And what had happened to his voice? It was dry and pained. When had that happened?

"She's dead," Toph answered abruptly, "I killed her."

Zuko sat up again, slower this time. It changed nothing. His stomach still hurt like crap.

And there was still a group hug. Good thing Appa was smart enough to fly on his own.

* * *

><p>They landed at dawn. After the group hug, Zuko had fallen asleep for the rest of the journey, so he didn't see the invasion meeting place until noon. He did have good reason-while no longer life-threatening, his wounds were still painful, and required multiple bandages. Katara's healing could only do so much.<p>

Zuko finally came out of the tent at lunchtime. He sat down for lunch, wincing, starving and thirsty. Five helpings of whatever it was-he didn't remember, it was food, he ate it, end of story-and who knows how much water later, he finally began to register what was going on.

"Hey! No fair! He ate more than me!" _Whap._ "...ow."

Zuko chuckled. Things were almost back to normal. Well, _their_ normal, anyways.

Almost.

"Hey, Toph, what happened to the scroll Bhat gave you?"

"Right here, Sweetness. He said it was for Zuko. And don't forget the tile."

She held up the tile. It was simple, made of wood, with a White Lotus design on it.

And, there...there was that scorch mark he'd made during a rather...enthusiastic practice.

It was his uncle's tile.

Zuko stared in blatant shock for a full minute before he realised that Toph was trying to give him a scroll, tied with a dark blue ribbon and a pale gray lotus seal.

With shaking hands, he reached over and took the scroll, broke the seal, and unrolled it.

* * *

><p><em>Zuko,<em>

_I am not sure if this letter will reach you. The Order has branches in many places, but we are not everywhere. I hope you do recieve it._

_I was never angry at you. I was sad, because I thought-I _knew, _that you had lost your way. And I knew that I could not interfere. I had to let you find your own way. And you 's more, you did it by yourself, and you will never know how proud I am of you for that._

_We know of the plan to invade on the day of the eclipse, and wish to take part. We will arrive with the rest of the troops then. I cannot wait to see you, and finally meet the rest of the group under friendly conditions._

_In the meantime, keep your hood up at night-don't let your ears freeze- and please, if you haven't already, CUT. YOUR. HAIR._

_Your favourite (and only) uncle,_

_Iroh_

"Well?" asked Toph, "what's it say?"

Sokka plucked the letter out of Zuko's hands and read it aloud.

"Sweet! More troops!"

"Why does he want you to cut your hair?"

"The Order?"

Zuko sighed and ducked his head, hiding a few tears of happiness.

"You guys talk too much."

* * *

><p>AN FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY DONE! TOOK SO SO SO LONG!

Next up- epilogue! Stuff happens, and it happens suddenly! People arrive! There's crying. Misunderstandings, too!

So, now Zuko is...better, anyways.

Zuko: Seriously? Seriously. There is a HEALER, who can heal ANYTHING in SECONDS, and I STILL have to have bandages? I STILL have to be in pain? Do you HATE me or something?

Me: Or something. Just be glad I held off on the emotional scars.

Zuko: *grumbles incoherently, but chances are you don't want to hear it anyways, it's pretty violent from what I can tell...maybe I should run...*


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I lied. Plain and simple. This did not take the amount of time I thought it would. SO freaking sorry.

Now that that's out of the way...

FINALLY! I FINISHED! WOOHOO! HAPPY!

Read now.

* * *

><p>The Order arrived at around 1 in the afternoon, when everyone in Camp Avatar was fast asleep. Afternoon naps were the norm with the gAang,<p>

Master Piandao, Master Pakku, and King Bumi began to set up camp not far from the Avatar's group while Iroh searched for Zuko. He was worried, as any good uncle should be, about welfare, or if his nephew even found the Avatar's group, or...

This train of thought stopped abruptly when he saw his nephew.

He was lying still on a sleeping mat. Bandages were wrapped around his both his arms, from his wrist to the elbow, and his right arm had another bandage near the shoulder. More were wrapped around his midsection, and more still were wrapped around a splinted leg. His left knee was wrapped as well, and some sort of orangey cloth was wrapped around his head.

"ZUKO!" Iroh yelled racing over to the mat.

Zuko sat up, awoken by the panicked yell. Wincing a little, he raised his arms to firebend before he recognized Iroh.

"Uncle!"

Iroh knelt and swept his nephew into a hug, and Zuko could feel the world go back to normal. Or at leasst as close to normal as he would ever get.

* * *

><p>"...So we got out of the cave and escaped on Appa," Sokka finished the tale, told over the course of three hours. He did enjoy telling a good story, even if others didn't appreciate it.<p>

"...Flesh-eating slugflowers?" asked Piandao.

"And a magical, flying moon-cow?" asked Iroh.

"That didn't make any sense," said Pakku.

"It made perfect sense!" Bumi cackled.

Toph whacked Sokka, "Now can we tell them what really happened?"

"Fine," muttered Sokka.

Katara told the story, with Toph giving details at certain points.

"We stopped in the woods one evening, and an old woman came out and told us that we shouldn't be in the woods, and that we should go into town. So we listened to her. She seemed nice..."

Time passed. The sun was setting when she reached the end.

"So Toph stays to free the villagers, and they find out Toph was an earthbender. They were pretty much okay with it, and they showed her where Zuko was. He was...very badly injured through bloodbending and regular waterbending. When I got there I healed him with waterbending and bloodbending-"

"Wha'chu talking' 'bout, foo?" Bumi interuppted, talking in a gangster accent.

"Well, um, you see..." Katara was having a hard time telling the truth while still being sensitive to Iroh's feelings.

Toph made it easier, "Hama twisted his veins around. Tied them in knots. Katara had to bloodbend them back to normal."

Iroh looked away. How could he not have been there for his nephew?

"Well, after he was healed, someone recognized Aang. As usual," continued Toph, "And then the villagers attacked, but the Order held them off long enough for us to get away on Appa."

It was quiet. Then Iroh spoke, "Thank, you, Miss Katara, for saving my nephew."

Katara smiled, "You're welcome."

The waves silently washed the shore as the sun set.

* * *

><p>It's been two weeks since the invasion. It was close, but with Piandao, Bumi, Pakku, and Iroh(before the eclipse) fighting, and Zuko able to show us where Firelord Ozai was hiding, Aang did it. Ozai is dead. Zuko took the throne. Azula is still at large and will no doubt cause problems, but with a worldwide search, I don't think she'll get far. It's over. We won.<p>

After the invasion, our group split up. We all had duties.

Aang is restoring the Air Temples, with the help of the Dai Li, the Order of the White Lotus, and pretty much anyone who needed a job. It was paid for by the Fire Nation, Water Tribes, and Earth Kingdom alike. He still feels guilty about killing the Loser Lord, but he knows it was for the best.

Katara returned to the South Pole to teach the skills she learned from Hama to the newest waterbenders in the Southern Tribe. However, she still refuses to teach the Northern techniques, in hope that a new Southern waterbending tradition will be born or something. Hopefully she'll be done soon and can get back to her precious Aang. From what I've heard, she's been acting even more bossy than usual.

Sokka and Suki live together on Kyoshi island. Yeah, I'd rather not get into the details on that.

Zuko is running the Fire Nation, rebuilding it piece by piece. Lots of damage was sustained to the Capitol, courtesy of us, so now he has to clean up the mess and deal with all the hate that's been created over the years. The dude has Iroh in his side, though, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Yeah, I just referred to one of the most important people in the world as, 'dude.' That's how great I am.

Me? Well, I guess I have to go back to see my parents eventually, but in case they decide to lock me up again, I'm seeing the world. Aang let me borrow Appa, though I don't think I mentioned that it was a six month trip. Yeah, he expected to have his bison back about a week and a half ago.

But now I'm at the one site I will never forget. It's a tombstone. Just a wordless, plain gray tombstone, with nothing but a name.

ばて

Bhat.

While on the run, Aang taught me how to write in the earth. I can put any word into any rock I want.

So that's what I'm going to do.

* * *

><p>A year later, a tombstone stands in the forest. All that's written on it are three words.<p>

A name.

ばて

_Bhat._

Two words.

ありがとう

_Thank you._

* * *

><p>AN Holy crapmuffins. It's done. I have done it. I ACTUALLY COMPLETED IT.

My favourite character to write is definitely Bumi, though it's hard to find places to put him. He's so crazy.

Another note: The characters I used in the last part are Japanese. ありがとう(Ar-ee-ga-to-oo(I think.)) means _arigatou, _or thank you. ばて(Bhat)directly translates to _bate_(Bah-tay). It was the closest I could get. I also recently discovered that the closest word to _bate_ in Japanese is _batei_(Bah-tay-ee)_, _which means, quite literally, _Batman._ I think that's awesome.


End file.
